NUTRITION LOAN

AID & the World Bank assist the Govt of Colombia (GOC) to finance the Natn"l Food & Nutritn Plan (NFNP), responsible for reducing malnutritn among the poorer segmt of Colombia"s populatn. GOC staff & technical reports were consulted, and on-site visits made in compiling this first eval of the Nutritn Loan. Since it was slow getting underway, only 5 of the 54 MAC"s (the rural health service delivery unit) have been in operatn for a year. The other 49 MAC"s have been in operatn less than a year but lack operational components. Although the program"s effect on some MAC"s have been established, most informatn is either insufficient or not available to determine the extent of nutritional improvemts which have or will occur. The main problem in getting this multisector project underway resulted from the GOC"s bureaucratic difficulties in establishing a new coordinated strategy and administrative networks among several government entities. Although project consisted of numerous sectors each of these has had varying success. Substantial progress has been made in establishing an evaluation system to provide timely information for decision makers to use in developing policies, programs, projects, etc which affect nutrition status. Multiple interventions have been developed in 3 Departments to strengthen and facilitate the multi-sector planning and implementation of NFNP. Training, technical Assistance, and Pilot interventions have been delayed due to lack of funds. GOC"s decision to change the basic technology for providing a locally produced high protein vegetable mix (VPM) has also delayed project. The poor have received food subsidies both from the Coffee Grower"s Federation and GOC. Inflation of food however has considerably reduced the peasant"s purchasing power. The present number of promotoras are not sufficient which partly explains why other activities such as the installation of water filters and latrines and the administration of the food coupon program have been insufficient.